Drying device for traveling webs



July 26, 1938. T. FUYKl-:Rs 2,124,669

DRYING DEVICE FOR TRAVELING WEBS Filed May 23, 1934 /nrent or.'

am df #M 30 separate guiding spindles.

Patented July 26, 19.38 v

y UNITED VSTATES PAraNTfoFFicE DRYING DEVICE FOR TRAVELING WEBS Theodor ,Fuykem Dusseldorf,'Germany 'Application May 23, 1934, Serial No. '127,197

Germany May 24, 1933 1o claim. (c1 34-48) 'Ihe invention relates to a device for drying one plane, by constructing the spindles of diifer" traveling webs of all kinds, during their manuent diameters, for example, the middle guide facture or treatment, for example printed paper spindle having the largest diameter, and the or webs of other material, by means of a medium diameter of the spindles progressively diminishin the form of gas or vapour, fory example air. ing towards each end of the series of spindles. 'Ihe object of the invention is to provide as com- The form of the drying devices disposed on pact a construction as possible for such drying either side of the web guide may be as desired. devices which, with the minimum requirements It is possible to employ for example drying deof space, render possible a particularly advanvices according to the co-pending application, l ,tageous utilization of the drying effect -of the Serial No. 523,578, led on the 18th March, 1931, l0 drying medium. For this purpose, according to now Patent No. 2,022,593 in which a plurality of the invention, a web guide is provided which blowing and suction nozzles a'e\arranged alterguides the traveling web for a certain length nateiy transversely to the direction of travel of thereof in one direction, defleets it and returns it the web.. It has been found to be particularly in at least substantially the opposite direction, advantageous to dispose parallel to each of the 15 and at two external sides of which are mounted two web guide lengths a conducting wall for the the drying devices acting over the two lengths drying medium, for example air, to be passed of web guide. The web guide comprises or isbetween the said wall and the traveling web. constituted by a series of parallel, adjacently dis- 'I'he said guide walls may be adjustably mounted posed guide spindles. The web is then first led so that their distance from the adjacent surface 20 along one side of the series of spindles, is deof the traveling web may be varied in order to flected round the last spindle and is returned secure the best drying effect. Itis advisable to along the other side of the series of spindles. make the' distance 0f the guide Walls from the The new arrangement according to the invention traveling web above each guide spindle less than thus renders it possible to utilize a web guide, that between the guide SpindleS- The flowing 25 such as has been necessary heretofore for any -dl`yin8 medium iS thereby bamed at these Places, drying device, on both sides for association with and hence an increase in pressure is obtained, two drying devices, so that the individual drying which is particularly advantageous in preventing devices do not require a separate rear wall and contact of the traveling web with the guide walls.

'Ihe diminution in distance at the said points 30 'I'he new arrangement requires much less space may be Obtained by prviding the guide vwalls with and material as compared with apparatus using a transverse rib, elevation or the like directed large drying cylinders, and is therefore much towards the corresponding spindle. ,f more economical and convenient. The drying medium flowing through the space The web guide (roller band, guide spindles or between the guide walls and the traveling web 35 the like) may be set into motion either by the may be injected at one end lof the guide Walls traveling web itself or it mayv be driven sepainto the said space and may be led olf freely or rately. If individual guide spindles are employed, aspirated at the Other end- It 1S also DOSSble t0n a sprocket wheel may be mounted for example on force the drying medium through the drying 40 each spindle shaft, and the said sprocket wheels length merely under the iniluence of suction. It '40 may be driven by a common chain drive. has been found to be a particularly advantageous In order, when the web guide is constituted by arrangement t0 provide, Opposite the defiecting guide spindles, to prevent sagging of the traveling point of the traveling web, a drying air supply web between the said spindles, the gaps between container, from which the air flows into the drythe spindles may be bridged by guide walls, above ing devices situated on either side of the web 45 the surface of which the spindles project but guide. The said Container may be of any .desired slightly. The said guide Walls may be adjustably construction. If guide walls parallel to the web mounted, so that their distance from the upper are employed, the drying medium flowing from the edge of the guide spindles may be varied. If the said container and passing between the web and axes of the guide spindles all lie in one plane and the guide walls may be led off, for example by 50 if the spindles all have the same diameter, two aspiration at the ends of the guide lengths, that plane web guide lengths are obtained. 1f it is is to say,r at the points at which the web enters desired to guide the web in an arcuate manner, and leaves the drying device. A particularly this may be readily accomplished, even in the compact arrangement is provided when the drycase of the arrangementA of the spindle-axes in ing air is deflected at these points to the rear side 55 of the guide walls and is led along the latter into a suction air collecting container, which may be constructed conjointly with the drying air supply container. It has been found to be advantageous to form the drying air supply container of a longitudinally slotted, preferably conical'tubular member closed on one side, the two guide walls adjoining the edges of the slit in the said tubular member, so that the drying medium flows out of the longitudinal slit between the two guide walls, and to construct the suction air collecting container in the form of a concentric tubular member, the edge of which hasv a longitudinal aperture of a sufficient sise to allow of the passage of the guide walls and of the admission of the suction air, the external walls of the suction air channels being connected to the edges of the said aperture. A

Advantageously, it is also possible to bring the end edges of the guide walls close to the surface of the traveling web, and then to bend them over rearwardly in the direction of the suction air current. Since the deecting points of the drying medium are situated in the vicinity of the inlet and outlet of the web in the drying apparatus, special measures are preferably taken to prevent the escape of drying medium through the inlet and outlet slits. For this purpose, the walls which effect the deflection of the drying medium may be extended so far towards the central plane of the drying device that the inlet and outlet slit of the web does not lie in the direction of flow ofthe current of drying medium. Furthermore. special baille surfaces for the drying air to be deflected may be provided at the ends of the 'device so far that the deflected current of drying air does not strike their end edges. 'I'he passage of drying air through the gaps between the baille surfaces and the traveling web cannot of course be prevented completely. A portion of the drying medium will therefore be deilected already by the baille surfaces, while a further portion only deflected by the external walls, will flow on the rear of the baille surfaces and into the suction channel. This phenomenon, however, may be utilized for regulating the suction, the baille surfaces being extended inthe direction of the suction air current and carrying adjusting means, so that thereby the cross-sections of flow may be adjusted. It is thus possible to arrange for the main portion of the suction to be effective on the front orA on the rear of the bame surfaces. Of course, a plurality ofthe latter may be provided.,

Another form of construction of the drying device is obtained if the two guide walls at the detlecting point of the web are allowed to merge into one another, and the drying medium is introduced at the inlet or outlet of the web and is led away at the outlet or inlet. Themore preferable construction will be toallow the drying medium to ow ina direction contrary to that of the web travel. Finally, it is possible to introduce -the drying medium both at the inlet and at the outlet of the web, to deflect both drying medium currents outwardly 'at the deiiecting point of the web, to return them back to the points of introduction and from thence to lead them away.

All of the constructional forms of the present device are preferably such that the parts covering the web can be removed or at least hingedly opened on one side for convenience in drawing in the web and for inspection purposes.

Forms of construction of the invention are shown by way of example in the drawing, in

whichr- Figure 1 is a side-view of a printing machine with two drying devices connected to a common blowing and suction container:

Figure 2 a `partial longitudinal section along line E-F of Figure l;

Figure 3 a transverse section along line A-B of Figure 1;

Figure 4 a section along line C-D of Figure l;

Figure 5 a detail view, partly in section, showing one of the baule surfaces arranged near the t inlet end of the machine.

In the first form of construction, the web guide consists of ten spindles I to ID, the shafts of which lie parallel and adjacent to one another in one plane, and are journalled in two stationary side walls II and I2 of the drying device. The shafts are extended outwardly on one side to project be- 20 yond the wall I2 and carry sprocket wheels I3, which are driven by a chain Il' as indicated in Figure 2. The middle spindles I and 6 have the largest diameter, and the diameter of the spindles diminishes progressively towards each end of the drying lengths. Mounted between the guide spindles are guide walls I5 and I6 as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4, secured by angle pieces Il and I8 (Figure-3) to the side walls II and I2. The attachment by means of screws enables the ver- 30 tical position ofthe guide walls with respectv to.V

the upper edges -of the corresponding guide .spindle to be selected according to requirements.

'I'he traveling web I9 first passes onto the spindle I, and thence over all the spindles as far as spindle I0, is deected round the latter and passes back again along the other side of the guide spindles to the spindle l, whereupon it can b e given any desired direction bymeans of the guide roller 20. The direction in which the web runs onto and on the spindles is so selected that the initial and final lpoints of contact of -the web with the guide spindle I Vare not disposed diametrically, but nearer to the central plane of the drying device.

Opposite the last guide spindle Iii is mounted the joint drying air supply and suction air collecting container. It comprises the conical tubular member 2|, into which the vdrying air enters in the direction of the arrows 22. On the side facing the spindle I 0 the tubular member has a longitudinal slit 23, from which the drying air flows in the direction of the arrows 2l towards the spindle III and, from the latter, away on either side of the web guide in two streams along the traveling web. At the same time, the air is maintained in contact with the surface of the web by two guide walls 25 and 26, which adjoin the edges of the slit 23. The two guide walls are respectively provided above each guide spindle with a transversely-extending elevation 21, 28. At the bottom ends. they are likewise first bent towards the paper web and then back into the suction direction, as shown at 28 and 30. Extending parallel to the guide walls 25 and 26 are the two external walls 3i and 32 of the device, which constitute with the guide walls the suction channels in which the drying medium, deflected round the ends 29 and Ill of the guide walls, returns to the starting point. 'I'he external walls are connected to the semi-circular tubular member 33, which forms the suction air collecting container and from which the air is aspirated in the direction of the arrows 34. 'I'he external walls 3i and I2 are bent inwardly at one of their endsrnameiy,

35 and 36 respectively, which ends extend close to the surface of the traveling web at its points of contact with the guide spindle I. The drying medium flowing against the wall-ends 35, 33 is` deflected by them into the suction direction. This deflection is also effected by the two baille surfaces 31 and 33 which are also provided. Figure 5 shows how both the end of the external wall 36 and that of the corresponding baile sur- 'face 38 may be shifted from the highest point of the guide spindle I towards the central plane of the web 'guide such a distaance that the drying air current flowing inthe direction of the'arrow 33 does not reach the gap between the baille and the web. Nevertheless, of course, all the air will not be deected in the directionof the arrow 40 by the baille surface 33, but a portion will flow under the edge thereof and back in the direction of the arrow 4|. 'I'he angle members 42, 43, 44, (Figure 3) serve as supports for the guide walls 25 and 26, the external walls 3| and 32 and the baille surfaces 31 and 38. The said members lie loosely on the walls and I2, with theinterposition of packings. The lower portions 35 and 36 of the outer walls 3| and 32 are fixed and form the bearings for the hinges 43 and 4l, about which the parts of the drying devices described can be swung open. At the ends 43 and 49, the guide walls 25 and 26 are applied with packings against the drying air supply pipe 2|. The collecting pipe 33 is hinged as at 50 to the external wall 32 and may be swung thereabout, while the pipe 2| is fixed. The guide walls 25 and 26 are secured to lateral angle members 5| and 52, which can be screwed fast to the angle members 42 to 45 by means of screws 53, 54. The screws 55, 56 which'pass through the external walls 3| and 32 at the edges of the device serve for fine adjustment. The ends 31' and 38' of the two baille surfaces 31 and 38, which are extended rearwardly in the suction direction, may likewise be adjusted by means of screws 51 (Figures 1 and 4). It is thereby possible to vary the width of the passage between the ends 29 and 30 of the guide` walls and the baille surfaces, and also between the external walls and the baiiie surfaces and thus to regulate the suction.

I claim:-

1. A device for drying by means of a gaseous medium traveling webs printed on one side thereof, said device comprising a casing, guide-walls in said casing, said walls forming a narrow channel along the printed side of said web, a webguide for feeding said web through said channel, means for blowing said gaseous drying medium into said channel at one end thereof along said printed side of said web, and suction means for withdrawing said medium at the other end of said channel. s

2. A device for drying by means of a gaseous medium traveling Webs printed on one side thereof, said device comprising a casing, guide-Walls in said casing, said walls forming a narrow channel along the. printed side of said web, a webguide for feeding said web from one end of said casing through said channel along said guide- Walls round a reversing point and back to said one end of said casing, means for blowing said gaseous medium into said channel at one end thereof along said web when being fed therethrough by said Web-guide, and suction means provided at the other end of said channel for withdrawing said medium from said printed side vat the ends of said channel.

4. A device for drying by means of a gaseous medium traveling webs printed on one side thereof, said device comprising a casing, guide-walls in said casing, said walls forming a channel passing from one end of said casing round a reversing point back to the other end of said cas-- ing and closely embracing the web, a web-guide for feeding said. w'eb through said channel 'from the one to the other end thereof, a container arranged midway with respect to said channel for supplying said medium under pressure to the printed side of said web when being fed through said channel by said web-guide, and suction means provided at one end of said casing and near both ends of said channel for Withdrawing said medium from the latter.

5. A device for drying by means of a gaseous medium traveling webs printed on one side thereof, said device comprising a casing, guide-walls in said casing, said walls forming a channel passing from one end of said casing round a reversing point back to the other end of said casing and closely embracing said web, a web-guide for feeding said web through said channel from the one to the other end thereof, means for supplying said medium to the printed side of said web at the reversing point of said channel, and suction means arranged at'the ends of said channel for withdrawing said medium after passage through said channel.

6. A device for drying by means of a gaseous medium traveling webs printed on one side thereof, said device comprising a web-guide adapted to feed a web in forward and backward direction through said device, guide-walls forming a narrow channel closely embracing said web when being fed through said device, means for supplying said gaseous medium to said channel at one end thereof to move alongside the printed side of said web, and suction means at the other end of said channel for withdrawing said gaseous medium therefrom.

'7. A device for drying by means of a gaseous medium traveling webs printed on one side thereof, said device comprising a casing, guide-walls in said casing, said walls forming a relatively narrow channel adapted for the reception of the web, a web-guide for carrying said web through said channel, pressure-means for supplying said medium to said channel at one end thereof, suction means for withdrawing said medium at the other end of said channel, and means for varying the cross-section of the latter.

8. A device for drying by means of a gaseous medium traveling webs printed on one side thereof, said device comprising a casing, guide-walls in said casing, said walls forming a narrow channel closely embracing said web and passing through said casing from one end round a reversing point back to the other end, a webguide for feeding said web through said channel from the one to the other end thereof, a container arranged midway with respect to said channel for supplying said medium under presmedium traveling webs printed on one side theretion means provided at one end of said casing and near both ends oi said channel i'or discharging said medium from the latter, and means for varying the cross-section oi said channel.

9. A device i'or drying by means of a gaseous medium traveling webs printed on one side there# oi. said device comprising a casing, guide-walls in said casing. said walls forming a relatively long and narrow channel extending in forward and backward direction round a reversing point. an inlet at the one and an `outlet at the other end of said channel, a series of rollers disposed one behind the other and arranged within said casing to guide said web through said channel from said inlet past said reversing point back` towards said outlet, a.' container near said reversing point for supplying said gaseous medium to the printed side of both web runs on said rollers, and suction means for withdrawing said aisance medium trom the ends of said channel after passage along the printed side oi said web.

l0. A device for drying by means oi a gaseous medium traveling webs printed on one side thereoi. said device comprising a casing, guide-walls in said casing, said walls'formig a relatively long and narrow channel extending in forward and backward direction round a reversing point and enclosing the traveling web, an inlet and an outlet for the web von said channel, a series of rollers disposed onev behind the .other and arranged within said casing to guide said web through the whole of said channel from said inlet over said rollers to said reversing point and back to said outlet, means for supplying said gaseous medium to the printedside oi both traveling web runs on said rollers, suction means for withdrawing said medium after passage along the printed side of said web. and means for varying the crosssection of said channel.

THEODOR FUYKERS. 

